Abstract: Taking Guanshe Village in Fujian Province as a research case, an evaluation index system for the vulnerability of tourism based ethnic minority characteristic villages was constructed from two levels: internal reasons and external influences, using literature review, questionnaire survey, and other methods.The explanatory structure model was used to systematically analyze the impact of each factor on the vulnerability of ethnic minority villages.The results indicate that the changes in traditional cultural customs and natural environmental disasters directly affect the vulnerability of tourism oriented ethnic minority villages; The alienation of traditional architectural renewal and the unsustainable investment in construction are indirect impacts；Excessive tourism development is an important aspect of the vulnerability of tourism oriented ethnic minority villages; The insufficient awareness of residents' protection and the process of urbanization are the fundamental impacts on the vulnerability of tourism oriented ethnic minority villages.Based on the current development issues and future development needs, this paper proposes protection strategies for tourism oriented ethnic minority characteristic villages in the new era from five perspectives: ideological understanding, coordinated development, cultural inheritance, cultural tourism integration, and safety management.

Key words: ethnic minority characteristic villages, vulnerability, interpreting structural models, village protection